does a police record from japan need notarizing?

[march]

Since i stayed in Japan for 5 years, i am supposed to get the police record from japan. but could you please tell me if the police record from japan need notarizing too?
Thanks

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Since i stayed in Japan for 5 years, i am supposed to get the police record from japan. but could you please tell me if the police record from japan need notarizing too?

Thanks

216221[/snapback]

Yes, it will need to be notarized and tranlated to English too.

[frank1538]

Since i stayed in Japan for 5 years, i am supposed to get the police record from japan. but could you please tell me if the police record from japan need notarizing too?

Thanks

216221[/snapback]

Yes, it will need to be notarized and tranlated to English too.

216222[/snapback]

I'm not sure about the notarization.

 

While it is clear that Chinese police clearance certificates should come from the notarial office, the consulate's FAQ does not seem to require notarized documents from other countries. This is from http://guangzhou.usconsulate.gov/kvfaq.html

 

"Notarial police certificates are required from each visa applicant aged 16 or over issued by his/her local municipal notary office where he/she has resided for at least six months since attaining the age of sixteen. Police certificates are also required from all other countries where the applicant has resided for at least one year."

 

The following link describes the various type of records that DOS is looking for, what they are, and where to obtain them. http://travel.state.gov/visa/reciprocity/index.htm

[david_dawei]

Doesn't "notarial police certificates" mean a certificate that is notarized?

 

And further down the FAQ it reads explicitly:

 

Translations: Police certificates from other countries not in English, or in the official language of the country must be accompanied by certified English translations. Translations must be certified by a competent translator and sworn to before a notary public.

Edited May 19, 2006 by DavidZixuan (see edit history)

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Doesn't "notarial police certificates" mean a certificate that is notarized?

 

And further down the FAQ it reads explicitly:

 

Translations: Police certificates from other countries not in English, or in the official language of the country must be accompanied by certified English translations. Translations must be certified by a competent translator and sworn to before a notary public.

216248[/snapback]

That is the way I was interpreting it.

[frank1538]

Doesn't "notarial police certificates" mean a certificate that is notarized?

 

And further down the FAQ it reads explicitly:

 

Translations: Police certificates from other countries not in English, or in the official language of the country must be accompanied by certified English translations. Translations must be certified by a competent translator and sworn to before a notary public.

216248[/snapback]

That is the way I was interpreting it.

216250[/snapback]

Certifying that a translation is accurate is one thing. Requiring that an original document be notarized makes no sense.

 

Notarial documents are somewhat unique to China and do not mean the same thing as a notarization in the US. In the US, documents are generally certified as accurate copies while notarization generally relates to the person or his/her signature on the document.

 

From http://travel.state.gov/visa/reciprocity/C...der/C/China.htm :

 

"Notaries in China do not perform the same functions as their American counterparts. Chinese notaries affix their signatures and office seal to certificates that attest to the probity of claims made by the applicants. By regulation, notaries are empowered to issue certificates only after they conclude that the applicant's claims are true. Notarial certificates of birth, death, marriage, divorce, no criminal record and pre-1981 adoptions are, at best, secondary evidence of the events they purport to document. Although these certificates are secondary evidence, they are used because primary evidence is not standardized, is easily forged, and difficult to evaluate. Notarial certificates are easier to interpret than primary evidence and theoretically represent an expert judgment on the part of the notarial official as to the facts documented."

 

In March's case, while a translator might have to have his/her signature notarized as part of the certification of accurate translation, the police certificate, itself, probably wouldn't/couldn't be notarized.

[david_dawei]

frank.. thanks for clarifying this.. original vs translated version... I was thinking only in terms of the translated version..

 

I would think that the original has some sort of seal, signature, etc... and that serves authenicates it as original.. But agree.. no need to notarize an original...

 

I would think that one can get a certified copy of the original if they wanted (ie: don't have another original as backup)...

[Yuanyang]

If at all possible it should be notarized by the Japanese agency that produced it along with an official translation from Japanese to English notarized in Japan.

[Joanne]

The police certificate I received from Canada did not need to be notarized. It is in English language.